Flagstaff-support.



PATENTED NOV. 28, 1905.

G. BROWN.

PLAGSTAFP SUPPORT.

APPLICATION FILED PEB. 9. 1905.

.. IINITED. STATES PATENT OEEIOE.

GEORGE BROWN, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA.

FLAGSTAFF-SUPPORT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented NOV. 28, 1905.

Application filed February 9, 1905. Serial No. 244,908.

To all whom it may concern:

sists in the means hereinafter described, and

particularly pointed out in the claims.

Heretofore flagstaffs were rigidly connected to their supporting-bases or were connected and supported in such a way that the flag would foul or become wound around its staff, (an occurrence that frequently happens by reason of the change in the direction of the wind or in such cases as on board ships when by a change, not only in the direction of the wind, but also in the direction of the course of the vessel, the iiag is wound or tangled around its staff with each change of the course of the vessel or direction of the wind,) which was difficult to unfurl to spread the flag out to the wind or lower it without injuring or tearing it.

The object of this invention is to'provide a means whereby the flag can be unfurled or spread to the wind or loweredv without tear- 'ing the same and without necessitating the climbing of the iiagsta to clear the flag before lowering it. I attain this object by means of the flagstaff -base illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which similar numerals designate like parts throughout the several views.

Figure l is a sectional elevational view of my invention of a iiagstaff-supporting base. Eig. 2 is a plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the turning-arms, and Fig. 4 is an exterior elevational View of said base looking in the direction of the arrow a. (See Fig. l.)

'The fixed tubular casing l may be constructed of a metallic tube of the required diameter and length, or any suitable frame may be substituted, which casing is firmly supported and maintained in vertical position by the braces 2, whichare secured at their top ends to the fixed tubular casing l, near the top end thereof, and are inclined downwardly from said tubular casing to the level of or beneath the level of the bottom or base of the casing 1 to permit the bottom ends thereof to be secured to the roof of a building or other A portion of the interior of the bottom portion of the fixed tubular casing l is threaded to receive the threaded base-plug 3, wherein it is tightly screwed to be permanently secured therein. The center of the base-plug 3 is provided with a concentric coned bore or foot-step bearing 4, which extends through said plug 3, with its smaller end opening at the bottom, base, or outer end of the plug 3, and said cone-bore 4 is truly machined to receive the truly-turned conical foot-step bearing 5 of the base-plug 6. The

foot-step bearing is preferably made conical in form or in the form of a truncated cone for the purpose of readily centering the bottom or base end of the fiagstaff-supporting A tube 7. The cylindrical portion of the plug 6 is screwed securely and permanently into the interiorly-threaded bottom or base of the revoluble fiagstaff-supporting tube or socket 7 to be central therewith by reason of the coned foot-step bearing 5 accurately fitting in the conical bore or foot-step bearing 4 of the plug 3 and is centered thereby.

The flagstaff-supporting tube or socket 7 is adjusted at its top end to be maintained in vertical position vconcentric with the tubular casing l by means of the set-screws 8 and the hand-wheel 9. In the tube 7, with its bottom or base end bearing or resting on the plug 6 thereof, is the fiagstatf 10, the lower portion of which latter is dressed or turned truly to fit securely within the revolu ble staff-supporting tube 7 The set-screws 8, of which there are two in number, and the wheel-screw 9, having the turning-handle 9a, are situated near the top portion Of the casing l, into which they are screwed, and said set-screws and wheel-screw are equally spaced around said casing 7, and are therefore at an angle of one hundred and twenty degrees apart, for the purpose of centering it at its top end with the casing to support the flagstalf in its true vertical position. To adjust said ilagstafI-supporting tube or socket, the set-screws 8 are first adjustedto right the revoluble staff-supporting tube 7 or adjust it to be maintained in its true vertical position or centrally in the casing 1. The wheel-screw 9 is then screwed to rigidly bear against said tube 7 to clamp the same against the ends Of said set-screws 8, and thus the revoluble flagstaff-supporting tube 7 is rigidly held and maintained at its top end and said flagstaff --supporting tube and its fiagstaif is in vertical position.

The turninghandles ll are preferably IOO IIO

formed integral with the clamping-collars 12, which latter are adapted to accurately fit the top portion of the iiagstasupporting tube 7 to be securely clamped thereon by means of the clamping-screws 13. The turning-handles 11 may not only be used as a means or lever'- age for turning the flagstaf-supporting tube or socket 7, but also as cleats or belaying-pins whereto the halyards or hoisting-ropes of the flag may be belayed or fastened. In order that the said sleeve or collar 12 be positively connected to the flagstaff-supporting tube or socket 7 so as not to slip thereon, I provide the screws 14, which are threaded, to be screwed into the collar 12 and thence into the tube portion of the revoluble flagstaffsup porting tube or socket 7. The collar 12 may be formed with a watershed collar or hood 15, and the said collar may be constructed sufiiciently large in diameter to close or cover the open space between the revoluble flagstalfsupporting tube or socket 7 and the base-tube 1 and prevent water entering therethrough into the interior of the casing 1, or the watershed-collar may be secured in any suitable manner to said iiagstaf-supporting tube or socket 7 to cover the top opening of said base or casing 1.

If it is desirable at any time to reduce the frictional resistance of the conical foot-step in its bearing 4, either ball or roller bearings may be employed for that purpose without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Now suppose a iiag connected to the top end of the staff 10 becomes fouled with or is Wound around the flagstaff by any cause whatever and it is necessary to unfurl, unwind, or clear-the flag before shipping or hauling it down to prevent its being injured or torn and destroyed. Now to unfurl the flag with despatch and certainty the attendant by use of this invention releases the hand clampingscrew 9 by means of the hand-wheel 9, then grasps the turning-handles 12, one in each hand, to turn the revoluble tube 7 in the required direction to unfurl or unwind the flag from its staff and to disengage the hoisting ropes or halyards of the iiag which may have been wound or have fouled the flagstaff. The Hag beingthus unfurled and righted the clamping-screw now is turned by means of its handwheel 9 to clamp the said tube or socket7 to maintain the same securely in position to prevent motion or vibration of said revoluble tube 7 of the iagstaif 10, which it supports or carries.

Having thus fully described this my invention, what I claim as new and useful, and desire-to cover by Letters Patent of the United States therefor, is-

1. In a flagstaif-supporting base, the combination with a lixed supporting frame or casing, of a lower foot-step bearing, a staff, a coned or staff-base-supporting bearing end pivotally mounted in saidbearing, and projecting at its top end above the top end of said frame or casing, and means situated above said bearing and connected to said supporting frame or casing for adjusting said staff into vertical position, a clamping-collar surround- 'ingand secured to said staff and situated above the upper adjusting bearing means, outwardly-extending arms formed on said collar on diametrically opposite sides thereof.

2. In a flagstaE-supporting base, the combination with a fixed supporting frame or casing, of a lower foot-step bearing, a stad, a-

eoned or stal -base-supporting bearingend pivotally mounted in said bearing., and projecting at its top end above the top end of saidframe or casing, and means situated above saidv bearing and connected to said supporting frame or casing for adjusting said staff into vertical position, a clamping-collar situated above the upper adjustingfbearing means of said staff, and means for positively connecting the said clamping-collar with said sta, and outwardly-extending arms situated on diametrically opposite sides of said collar.

3. In a flagstaff-supporting base, the combination with a rigidly-fixed outercylindrical casing and a base or foot-step bearing, ofv a.r

flagstaff-supporting tube or socket situatedv within said fixed cylindrical casing, a footstep or base pivot on said socket, and means situated at or near the top end of said cylindrical casing whereby thetop end of said socket is centered and maintained centrally with and revolubly in said casing.

4. In a flagstaif-supporting base, the combination with a rigidly-fixed outer cylindrical casing having an open top end and a'base or foot-step coned bearing, ofa iagstaff--supporting tube or socket situated withinsaid fixed cylindrical casing, a flagstaff-supporting tube coned foot-step or pivot, and ad# justable set-screws situated at or near the top end of said outer cylindrical casing and hav-` ing their binding ends directed radially toward said flagstaff-supporting tube or socket.

5. In a liagstaff-supporting base, the combination with a rigidly-fixed outer cylindrical casing having an open top end-and a base :or foot-step coned bearing, of a agstalf-sup'port ing tube or socket situated within said fixed cylindrical casing, a flagstaff-supporting-tube coned foot-step or pivot, a pair o f adjustable set-screws and a hand-wheel binding-screw sit`- uated at or near the top end of said outer eylindrical casing arranged at equal intervals around said casing having their binding endsk IOO IIO

directed radially toward said flagstaE-supporting tube or socket.

6. In a liagstaff-supportingbase, the combination with a rigidly-fixed outer cylindrical casing havingits top end open, and a base or foot-step self-centering bearing, of a flagstaffsupporting tube or socket having an open upper end situated within said fixed cylindrical casing, said iiagstaff-supportingitube or socket ISO having its upper end projecting above the top open end of said Outer xed casing, a lagstaffsupporting-tube base or foot-step pivot, means situated at or near the top end of said xed casing whereby the top projecting end of said iiagstail`supporting tube is centered and maintained centrally with and revolubly in said xed casing, and means secured to the projecting end of said agsta-supporting tube for rotating the same.

7. In a lagstaf-supporting base, the conibination with a rigidly-fixed Outer cylindrical casing having its top end open, and a base or foot-step self-centering bearing, of a agstaffsupporting tube or socket having an open upper end situated Within said iixed cylindrical casing, said iiagstaff-supporting tube or socket having its upper end projecting above the top open end of said outer fixed casing, a liagstafl'- supporting-tube base or foot-step pivot, means situated at or near the top end of said fixed casing whereby the top projecting end Oi' said lag'stal-supporting tube is centered and maintained centrally with and revolubly in said iixed casing, and outwardly-extending arms projecting radially from the upper or top projecting end of said agstai-supportingtube or 1 socket.

-situated at or near the top end of said fixed casing whereby the top projecting end of said iiagstai-supporting tube is centered and maintained centrally with and revolubly in said xed casing,a clamping-collar surrounding the upper or top projecting end of said lagstairsupporting tube or socket means for positively connecting said collar to said tube to turn therewith and radially-projecting arms on diametrically-opposing sides of said collar.

9. In a agstaf'f-supporting base, the combination with a rigidly-fixed Outer cylindrical casing having its top end open, and a base or foot-step self-centering bearing, of a agstasupporting tube or socket having an open upper end situated within said fixed cylindrical casing, said lagstalf-supporting tube or socket having its upper end projecting above the top end of said outer xed casing, a flagsta-supporting-tube base or foot-step pivot, means situated at or near the top end of said fixed casing whereby the top projecting end Of said agstatf-supporting tube is centered and maintained centrally with and revolubly in said fixed casing,a clamping-collar surrounding the upper or top projecting end of said flagstaE- supporting tube or socket, means for positively connecting said collar to said tube to turn therewith and radially-projecting arms on diametrically-opposing sides of said collar, a water-shed surrounding said latter tube adjacent the top open end of said fixed casing.

In testimony whereof I alix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE EROI/VN. Witnesses: THOMPSON R. BELL, FLORENCE GIMBEL. 

